there rode by him on white mules four ladies of
great estate, with four knights about them, who bore a canopy of green
silk on four spears, so that the high sun should not touch the faces of
the ladies. Then, as they rode by, they heard a war-horse grimly neigh,
and looking aside, they were aware of Sir Lancelot all armed, and
asleep under the apple-tree.

The ladies came nigh him, and of them there was Queen Morgan le Fay,
who was wife of King Lot, and an evil witch; the Queen of Northgales, a
haughty lady; the Lady of the Out-Isles; and the Lady of the Marshes.
And when the Lady of the Marshes saw the knight she cried:

'Now this is as good hap as ever could be, for this is he that slew my
brother, Sir Caradoc of the Dolorous Tower; and for revenge of that, I
would have this knight taken to my tower and torture him before I slay
him.'

'That is well said,' said Morgan le Fay, 'for he bids fair to be one of
the most strong knights of Arthur, whom I hate. This man, Sir Lancelot
du Lake, is the favourite of all the ladies at that court, who hate me.
So will I lay an enchantment on him, so that he shall sleep.'

Then the evil queen laid her hands over the face of Sir Lancelot, and
said strange words that none could understand, and then he was laid
across the crupper of one of the knights' horses, and he did not wake.

When in the twilight Sir Lancelot awoke, he found himself on a straw
pallet in a strange room, and he leaped up and went to a narrow
arrow-slit in the wall and looked out. Before him for a great distance
was a black watery land, with the sun sinking far away on the very
edge, and the pools of the marsh were as if they were of blood.

Then he beat at the door and called, but none responded, and for wrath
he could have dashed the door down, but it was too stout, and he had no
weapon; for his arms had been taken from him.

When it was dark, suddenly it seemed to Sir Lancelot that the room
smelled foul, as if he had been carried into the midst of the quaking
marsh, and was sunk deep in the slime and weeds of a pool. Then,
through the arrow-slit, he saw many strange lights come, dim and blue
like the wild lights that dance and flit over the lonely marshes by
night; but that which made him marvel was that these lights were two
together, as if they were the eyes of evil things. And they came up to
him with a breath that was cold and dank, and they seemed to peer into
his face, but he could see naught of their bodies. The hair upon his
head rose, and his skin went cold. They pressed all about him, and to
defend himself he struck at the eyes, but his blows beat only the air.
Then suddenly Sir Lancelot felt sharp pains, as if small keen knives
had been thrust into his flesh at many places. The stabs increased in
number and in pain, and Sir Lancelot beat about himself and ran to and
fro in the narrow chamber to escape the evil eyes and the stabs, but it
was in vain, and thus all night in much misery he suffered. When for
sheer weariness he lay down and tried to close his eyes, the evil
things would not let him, but ever they tore at him and stabbed him. He
was in anguish of mind more than he could bear, and for all his thought
he could not think of any way to fight against the evil powers which
followed and tortured him wherever he ran.

But at dawn they fled, and then the door of the room opened, and a
damsel appeared, and in her hands was a manchet of sour bread, and a
beaker of water from the ditch of the moat. The damsel was evilly clad
in rags, and seemed like a scullion-maid.

'Damsel,' said Lancelot, 'tell me who hath brought me here and used me
so evilly.'

'It is Queen Morgan le Fay,' said the damsel, 'and the three witch
queens, the Queen of Northgales, the Queen of the Out-Isles, and the
Lady of the Marshes.'

'I doubt not, then, that they would slay me?' said Lancelot. 'But why
hate they me?'

'It is for this,' went on the damsel, 'that you did slay Sir Caradoc,
the brother of the Lady of the Marshes.'

'Alas, then,' said Sir Lancelot, 'there is no pity for me, and none of
my dear friends shall learn of my shameful death.'

'And so that you should suffer much ere you are slain,' went on the
damsel, 'they sent in the night the Coranians, the marsh fiends, to
torture you. Thus will they do until you die, unless, sir knight, you
are a knight with a stout heart, and a good fighter, and will do me
justice. If you will be ruled by me, and will give me a promise, I will
aid you.'

'Damsel, that will I grant you,' said Lancelot, 'for this would be an
evil death for a knight. And full of terror hath been this night, from
the foul things which have beset me.'

'I may not stay further now,' said the maid, 'lest they think I tarry
over-long. But by evening I will come again.'

The day passed and twilight came, and Sir Lancelot was adread for fear
of the night. But anon the damsel came secretly to him and said:

'Now must you promise me this, that you will release my father, whom
Sir Turquine, Sir Caradoc's brother, hath kept in his foul dungeons
since I was but a little child. And all his lands did Sir Turquine rob
from him, and me he gave as a kitchen slut to Morgan le Fay, and evilly
have I been treated who am a good knight's daughter. Now, will ye
promise to free my father?'

So at the dead of night the damsel opened his door, and with the keys
that she had stolen, she opened twelve other locks that stood between
them and the postern door. Then she brought him to his armour, which
she had hidden in a bush, and she led forth his horse, and he mounted
with much joy, and took the maid with him, and she showed him the way
to a convent of white nuns, and there they had good cheer.

Then, on the morrow, she led him to a thick forest with many hills
therein, and anon they came to a fair ford, and over the ford there
grew a tree, and on it there hung many good shields, each with the
device of some knight thereon, and Sir Lancelot was astounded to see
the shields of many of King Arthur's knights hung there. And on a bole
of the tree there was a bason of copper.

'Now,' said the damsel, 'I have brought you here where is Sir Turquine,
the mightiest knight that ever was found, as men say, and was never
overmatched by any. And in his dungeons are many poor knights, and my
dear father, Sir Darrel. Now strike the bason with the butt of your
spear.'

Sir Lancelot beat such strokes that the bason burst asunder, and then
he was aware of a great knight riding on a black horse. 'This is he,'
said the damsel, 'and now God aid you!'

They put their spears in their rests, and came like the wind against
each other, and either smote other in the middle of their shields, so
that both their horses' girths broke. Then, lightly avoiding their
beasts, they came at each other with great fierceness, and so fared for
two hours, feinting and striking, and so heavy were their blows that
each bled from many wounds as they stood. At last, for sheer
breathlessness, each leaned upon his sword.

'Thou art,' went on Sir Turquine, 'the biggest man that ever I met
with, and like one knight that I hate above all others, and I would
liefer be thy friend than thy foe. Now, therefore, I will give up to
thee my captive knights if thou wilt tell me thy name, and if thou art
not the knight I hate most.'

'It is Sir Lancelot du Lake,' cried the knight, 'for he slew my brother
Sir Caradoc of the Dolorous Tower in the Marsh, who was one of the best
knights living. And ever I have sought this Lancelot, and slain and
maimed many good knights and imprisoned others in the quest. To slay
that fellow I have made a vow, and him I would meet above all others.'

'Ha!' laughed Sir Lancelot, 'and I am the first thou hast met whose
love thou wouldst liefer have than my hatred? Well, I will have thee to
wit that I am he ye seek, Sir Lancelot du Lake, and thy brother was an
evil knight and an oppressor.'

'What sayest thou?' cried Sir Turquine. 'Thou art he I seek? Then,
Lancelot, thou art unto me most welcome as ever was any knight, for we
shall never part till the one of us be dead.'

Then they ran at each other like two wild boars, lashing and dashing
with their swords and shields, so that sometimes in their fury they
slipped together on the grass, which was wetted with blood, and fell
striking at each other. But at last Sir Turquine waxed faint and tried
to avoid Sir Lancelot's blows, and his shield sank low, for his arm was
very weary. Seeing this, Sir Lancelot leaped upon him fiercely, and got
him by the banner of his helmet, and thrust him on his knees, and slew
him at a stroke.

When he had rested a while, he went to the castle of Sir Turquine and
released all his prisoners, and was rejoiced to see the damsel find her
father alive. He caused the old knight to have his lands again, and
bade the others that they should betake themselves to the court of King
Arthur to be cheered and comforted, while their possessions, which Sir
Turquine had robbed of them, should be given back to them.